Fusion Lifestyle Saves Historic Baths

Fusion Lifestyle Chief Executive Peter Kay says people are walking up to historic leisure centres as a valuable community asset.

FUSION Lifestyle is to open its first operation in the North of England as it takes over the running of the historic Newcastle City Hall, Pools and Turkish Baths complex.

The Grade II listed complex, built in 1928, was shut in 2013 and a campaign group ‘Reopen Newcastle Turkish Baths and Pool’ established. Fusion will now work to reopen the baths and to create a destination health and wellbeing centre in 2017 – following a £5m refurbishment of facilities.

This announcement comes together with the revelation that Fusion is also to restore the Grade II listed Art-Deco Broomhill Pool lido in Ipswich which has been shut since 2002.

Peter Kay, Chief Executive of Fusion Lifestyle, said: “There has been a tendency over the past few decades to neglect or shut our historic leisure facilities.

“However over the past few years, particularly as many are threatened with closure, people are waking up to the fact that these valuable resources may be lost forever and are recognising that they are important community assets.

“At Fusion Lifestyle we have established ourselves as key players in breathing the life back into these assets and making them suitable for 21st century use. “It is a pleasure to see these historic leisure facilities restored and being made use of by the communities that they were designed for.”